


Rough Sketches

by Kashimalin



Category: Notice Me Senpai! (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-08 00:46:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11070519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kashimalin/pseuds/Kashimalin
Summary: He drew his teacher almost every single day, and they never found out. However, one small error cost him that secret - but gave him something more in return.





	Rough Sketches

**Author's Note:**

  * For [makuramotou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/makuramotou/gifts).



> Hoooooly crap, this is so late. I don't know why it took me so long to write this, but I dedicate this fic to the requestee, makuramotou - who also writes a mean fic! I love their work so much, and I am so sorry I didn't finish this at all for so long. I really do hope you enjoy it, and thank you so much for your eternal patience.

Touya could never tire of drawing his homeroom teacher. It was something about the motions he would make when he spoke, presenting the material to the class with a smile on his face. It was the way his eyes lit up as someone asked a question. It was his intense passion for history that seemed to spark an inspiration in his students, driving them forward. And so often found in the corners of Touya’s notes, drawn in colored ballpoint pen, was the teacher himself. At the blackboard, sitting in his chair, atop a desk, standing before the class… He was never the same day to day, unlike Kyouya-sensei who stood at the front of the room and rarely leaned or sat.

Today’s pose was no different from the history teacher. It sparked Touya’s artistic muse, and the second he saw it, he was instantly going for something more substantial than the margins of his notebook. He got out a sheet of plain white paper and clicked his black pen to begin sketching, half-listening to the reading aloud of the textbook that they were currently doing. His focus was almost entirely on the man at the front of the room.

His hair was slicked back as usual today, one part framing the side of his face. His eyes were shifting across the textbook, listening to each of the students he called on in turn. The sleeves of his jacket were rolled up along his forearms, hand in his pocket while he leaned back against the desk. The entire look was complete with a pair of sunglasses resting atop his head. He had neglected to remove them before the lesson started, having placed them up there before forgetting entirely about them.

Everything about his posture and image was screaming a model in that moment, and Touya was quickly getting the basics down; the overall flow of the drawing. The red was next to line and color the hair – the blue made up his glasses. Black for details, shading and coloring. It was, in all honesty, coming out beautifully, and he wanted to keep the work to draw with better tools later.

“Touya!” Viktor’s voice called from the front of the room, and Touya’s head snapped up, natural reaction kicking in as he tucked the sketch underneath his homework. “Your turn to read.”

Touya glanced down at the textbook, having no idea where they were. With a shaky breath, scanned the page, trying to figure out where they left off.

“Top of page 358,” Souh whispered finally, and Touya flicked a couple pages ahead, ignoring the snickers from other students. With a deep breath, he began to read aloud, the minutes ticking by in an agonizingly slow fashion without his artwork to pass it by. As the readings droned on and everyone managed to get through the text and worksheet, a chime sounded the end of class, and Viktor called for everyone to pass their homework forward before leaving. Touya missed the message, stacking his papers until the person in front of him held out a hand to collect the work.

“Hey, Touya!” He jutted his hand out further, and Touya’s head shot up, quickly grabbing his homework papers and passing them forward to the boy before packing up all his work. The rest of his notes and sketches were hastily shoved into his folder before leaving the room, dashing up towards the art room with relief. He set his books down by his easel, looking towards the canvas of an unfinished work before wondering if he should finish the picture he had drawn of Viktor. Going to his folder, he flipped it open and expected it to be right on top…

But it wasn’t there.

Frantically, he flicked through the remaining papers, before opening books to random pages and trying to shake it out. Realization dawned on him moments later, his face paling.

_Oh no._

* * *

Viktor decided to spend the afternoon after class looking over the submitted work, reading over the titles of each historical analysis and making sure they turned in an actual paper. He much appreciated Sousuke’s explanation about the history of archery, and Jéan’s on the invention of perfume – he’d have to give that a careful reread, adding the tick mark to the sheet and his gradebook.

As Viktor picked up the next one, he noticed one sheet wasn’t notebook paper. Instead, it appeared to be fine quality art paper. With a curious look, he pulled it out and saw the contents. A hand moved up to absently touch his hair, realizing that his sunglasses were still there. He checked his sleeves – rolled up. His eyes flicked to the name on the homework, before going back to staring at the sketch.

 _Touya drew this today. …And you know, it really doesn’t look half bad._ With a laugh, he kept it with his assignment, checking it off and moving onto the next one, thinking to call Touya up after class the next day so he could give him back the drawing.

However, that job was handled for him when the door burst open, and Touya, face red and panting from running, froze at seeing Viktor in the room.

“V… Viktor-sensei?”

Viktor barked out another laugh, tugging the sketch out once more. “Is this what you’re looking for?”

Touya bit his lip and snatched it back, feeling his ears heat up in sheer embarrassment at the situation.

“Is drawing during class a productive activity?”

“It helps me focus,” came Touya’s blunt reply.

“You didn’t know where we were in the reading today. Are you behind on life drawing in art club?”

Touya bowed his head, and Viktor sighed. “You know, Touya, I’m not at all angry. I think you captured me rather well.”

“Really?” At the compliment, Viktor was happy to see Touya’s face light up once more, and he nodded.

“It was a very nice sketch. It reminds me of when I see artists at museums and they’re sketching the paintings or statues.”

“You were a moving target, so you were harder to capture.”

“Do you want me to stand still next time?” Viktor’s wink made Touya’s heart skip a beat, and he found himself hiding his face behind the paper.

“I don’t need that, thank you. I’ll leave you to your grading, Viktor-sensei.”

“All right, Touya. Thank you for the sketch. I’ll be looking forward to more!”

“You hopefully will not see more!” Touya called back, shutting the door behind him as Viktor chuckled, settling back in to check on the remaining papers with a smile on his face.

* * *

Touya wandered down the halls of Ikemen, trying to find Souma so that they could go to the third-year café together. Having not found his friend in the Gourmet Club kitchens or the strangely empty 3-C homeroom, he decided to try looking around on his way to the café, in case Souma had gone there in advance to wait.

On his way, the sounds of an argument filtered down the hall, and Touya’s curiosity ended up getting the better of him. He followed the voices through the halls to find out who they belonged to.

The scene that greeted him was one of Kyouya-sensei and Viktor-sensei in a seemingly one-sided debate outside the staff room, arguing about Viktor leaving on a trip.

“I found the plans on your desk, Viktor. Your ticket for tomorrow to leave at lunchtime – for France?”

“Yeah. What about it, Kyouya? If you want something, you don’t have to sound so angry about it. That doesn’t get you presents, you know.”

“It’s not _that_ ,” Kyouya growled at him. “It’s that you are leaving on a trip, once again, without any sort of forewarning. If I hadn’t found it on your desk, I would have no idea that you were going.”

“But, Kyouya… you didn’t _need_ to know, did you?”

The glare that Kyouya aimed upon Viktor caused him to falter, but Touya chose that moment to jump into the conversation, wondering if he could take advantage of the unique opportunity.

“Viktor-sensei! If you’re going to Paris, could you get a photo of a statue for me?”

Upon hearing his voice, the two teachers turned to face the student, blinking at him with confusion. Neither could find the words that they had been spitting at each other before, having been stunned to silence by Touya’s sudden outburst – but Viktor seized the change ot lunge into action first, putting an arm around Touya’s shoulders.

“Of course Touya! Just e-mail me later about it, okay?” With that, he was off, running away from the staff room, and Kyouya gave a yell to Viktor, demanding he stop as he dashed after him in a futile attempt to catch him once again. Touya felt a pang of guilt for the 3-C teacher, but made the excuse to himself of homeroom loyalty and started making way towards the third-year café again.

* * *

Touya walked back to his homeroom, finding Viktor already inside, seated at his desk. His face brightened when the door opened, and Touya returned the grin as he shut the door behind him.

These little moments after classes and before clubs had become their “thing” – the two would discuss any matter of subjects, be it extended material for class, future art projects, or stories of Viktor’s trips – all of which were interesting to both of them. Having found common ground when it came to taste in artwork after Viktor’s trip to France, they just seemed to keep happening, and neither opposed their existence.

“You wanted to see me, Viktor-sensei?”

“Yes! I have a secret to share with you.” He gestured for him to sit, and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the desk as Touya pulled up a chair. “Don’t you dare tell Kyouya, all right?” He placed a finger against his lips, grinning mischievously. “I’m trusting you here.”

“Of course,” Touya said, eyes lighting up with excitement. “What is it?”

“I’ve planned out my next trip. I’m heading out early for Ukraine; so, promise me that you will help Hideki with the video call again on the sixth of January.”

“I will, of course! What are you going to Ukraine for?”

“It’s to check out their Christmas – because they celebrate it on the seventh. I’m curious to check out how different it is, and I think you guys should be seeing more cultures than the few I’m able to show you in a classroom. Especially if I get a chance to do it with actual, real life examples.”

“Do you even _speak_ Ukrainian? Or will it be like that time you went to Spain and had difficulty with Spanish?”

“Roughly. It’s just a few necessary conversational terms. I mean, I’m half-hoping I find someone that speaks Russian, which I know a lot more of. Don’t worry too much about it.”

“But it’s still really cool!” Touya inched forward on his seat, drawing closer to Viktor. “And the places you always bring back pictures of are so impressive.”

“Really? Well, I don’t pick boring places when I travel… not that there are many of those in my eyes. But sometimes, I do just settle into a local library, browsing the shelves for hours on end…”

Touya tried to not think about the sight of Viktor in a library. He could picture the composition of the photograph _perfectly_ ; with him wearing faux reading glasses, in a dimly lit library with only a desk lamp to illuminate the cream pages of a book in a foreign language, and a soft glow about him with shelves and shelves beyond…

“They still sound amazing,” he finally said, trying to pull himself out of his own thoughts, voice almost breathless. “I want to go to them all someday.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I can only imagine what you learn by experiencing the world yourself, firsthand… and how much it would inspire my art.”

“I would love you show you, if you are genuinely that interested in the history of it all, along with the artistic endeavors.” Viktor was further across the desk now, barely registering how close Touya was in return. “After graduation, of course, since we would have more time.”

Touya then paused and leaned back slightly, eyebrows scrunched together. “Do you mean that, Viktor?”

Suddenly, the bubble popped, and Viktor blinked twice, as if coming out of a trance. “Oh. W-well, I would _like_ to, honestly… but I did not mean to be so forward, you know…”

He trailed off, and they sat in an awkward silence, steadily retreating from each other. Neither could pick up the pieces of the conversation again. Every second that ticked by only felt more and more agonizing. Finally, Touya, who could stand it no longer, stood from his chair. His cheeks pink, he muttered an excuse about needing to go prep for the Art Club and hurried out. Viktor wanted to reach and stop him, but only spun his seat slightly around as he watched Touya go, not even moving to stand. The door was left swinging open behind the student, and Viktor groaned at the pitiful sight. Leaning back against his chair, he put an arm over his eyes, chastising himself. He had known for a while that he was feeling something more; something that he didn’t quite understand.

“Dammit. _Dammit…_ this is…”

 _Today, he had gotten too close_. There was just too much risk involved in doing anything now.

All he could do was hope that Touya would wait… and later, understand.

* * *

The rest of the year went on, pushing through winter break and moving into spring. Despite their failed conversation before then, Touya and Viktor still talked happily. Touya asked Viktor for something every time he left for a trip of any length, and in return, Viktor asked about his art and kept up-to-date on his competitions and results. Each time, he said his presents were rewards for doing so well, but Touya always wondered if there was something else to all of them after that afternoon. However, it never got in the way of their conversations, which continued as if nothing had changed.

 “Touya!” Viktor called out to him one afternoon as the students began to file out, beckoning him back inside. Touya excitedly stepped up to the desk, and Viktor grinned at his reaction. “Just so you know, I didn’t bring anything too interesting back…”

At saying that, Viktor instantly felt bad at watching Touya’s face fall, and quickly worked to remedy the situation. “No, but I hope these are still interesting to you! They might not be to others, but… Here you go.” He slid open a drawer of his desk and placed a small box and photo envelope down before Touya.

“That’s new,” he commented, staring at the envelope as he lifted the other item into his hands, opening the flaps to view the contents. “Oh!” From inside the box, he pulled out a miniature model of a castle, with grey stones and flags waving in the still air.

“I thought you might like it, and think that you do.”

“I love it, sensei!” Touya moved to sit on the edge of the desk as he admired it, seeing all the minute details before slipping it back into the box. “Thank you!”

“Of course. And that’s not the only thing, you know.” He looked towards the envelope, and Touya gingerly lifted it up.

“May I?”

Viktor gave a nod, allowing him to break the seal and see the photographs within.

“I had my friend tag along with me this time,” Viktor began, standing from his seat to move around the desk and sit next to Touya. “They’re a photographer as a side gig, as you can see. They had way too much fun in Scotland.”

Touya flipped through horizons, castle towers, and even shots of individual rooms – each one looking ancient or opulent. He fawned over the shots of paintings and stained glass windows, sucking in a breath at every new photo. To each one, Viktor had a story, spinning it in an entertaining fashion as Touya hung on every word, wanting to hear it all. They laughed and talked until Touya got to the remaining few photos, and stopped at one with wide eyes, breath hitching in his throat.

The scene was vertical, of a tall castle entrance hall. It was only lit by a single circular window, where light poured through and illuminated the stairwell… along with the man climbing them.

He would recognize Viktor anywhere. His distinct red hair, large backpack, and tan travel pants were enough – he needed no face. But Touya kept looking, observing the details that were making another picture in his mind.

“Oh, this one,” Viktor said, taking an edge of the photograph to turn it towards him. His voice grew low as it continued. “They were most proud of this one, and it’s one of my favorites. Although, they said they wished I wasn’t in the shot—“

“Can I have this?” The question tumbled out before he could stop it, and Viktor stared at Touya for a moment, trying to figure out the reason for its occurrence.

“…Of course. I can print a couple more…”

Touya nodded. “Thank you, Viktor. This will be perfect.”

“For what?”

He fell quiet at that, avoiding eye contact. He didn’t want to be honest, but upon a brief reflection, knew that Viktor had a right to know…

_Later._

“I’ll show you when it’s done. I have to get to the art club!” Sliding off the desk, he placed the other photographs into Viktor’s hands and collected the castle model. “See you tomorrow, sensei!”

Viktor watched him scurry out, waving as the door swung shut.

“…What the heck are you plotting, Touya?”

The answer to his question was ascending the stairwell, falling through the art room doorway. The president of the club glanced up from his oils with a glare at the commotion, but Touya waved it off with a sheepish smile and some apologies. The idea was growing in his head with each passing moment, and he moved through the pottery wheels and tables, grabbing a canvas from the corner and propping up a free easel. However, he didn’t grab any paints or inks – just his art pencils and the photograph.

 _Please_ , he thought to himself, bowing his head before the blank slate, _let me do this justice for the competition._ The lead touched the open space, and he began the rough sketch. The window shape quickly grew, like a blossoming flower, before he went to bigger details. The staircase grew and the carpet spread out across the floor. He fell into that trace, just seeking the basic ideas down and convey all he wanted to show.

_Those sketches I do are just warm-ups. This is the real deal._

He just hoped that Viktor would be proud of it.

* * *

“What do you want to show me, Touya? I hope you haven’t thrown yourself into another art project again… Kyouya said your math homework has been slipping.” Viktor climbed the stairs to the art room behind Touya, who led the way into the empty space between classes.

“You’ll see, I said. Just something important I’ve been working on.” Touya walked over to his easel, happy that nobody had moved the cloth that covered its contents.

“You haven’t even come by for an afterschool chat for a week, either,” Viktor noted, pulling a stool around and sitting before him.

“It’s been taking all my time.”  
“And, you haven’t turned in your past three history assignments.”

Touya blushed under Viktor’s accusing gaze, turning away to grip the tablecloth. “Anyway… did you want to see it, or not?”

Viktor laughed at his reaction. “All right, show me your work of art.”

The cloth came off with a tug, and Viktor’s eyes widened at the sight beneath it.

The painting was a dusky purple and black, save for the illuminating window, bringing color to all it touched. Columns were shaded with ornate designs, and the stairwell rose into darkness. He recognized the contents of that one photo anywhere.

But in the center of it all, ascending the staircase and looking up at the window, was a man with red hair. A black, velvet cloak swept about his shoulders, and he held himself high.

“Is that…” Viktor reached to point, before retreating his hand out of the fear that he wasn’t permitted to even look upon something so exquisite.

“It is if you want it to be.” Touya shifted on his feet, not looking Viktor in the eye.

“I would very much like it to be.” Viktor grinned widely. “What’s the painting for?”

“A competition. The deadline’s coming up, and I wanted to submit it.”

“School competition?”

“…National.”

“What! No, really?” He stared in awe, eyes shifting back and forth from Touya to the painting. His hands were on his knees, kneading the fabric. “You want to go big with… _this?_ ”

“O…Only if you are okay with it, Viktor—“

“Of course! Although, if it doesn’t go in some sort of museum after you win… I want to buy it.”

Touya felt his heart stop. “No, Viktor, don’t joke…”

“Nope, seriously. I might even commission you for painting more castle photos. You are really a fantastic artist.”  
Touya blushed even more then, glancing down at his shoes. “That means a lot, coming from you, Viktor.”

The teacher smiled softly, reaching out again. Instead of aiming for the painting, he went for Touya’s hand, lightly taking it in his grasp. “You’ll win. I’m sure of it.”

Touya stared at the ground a few moments more, trying to will the color in his cheeks away. However, he found that he could not stop the spread, so he looked to other man with a weak smile.

“I’m going to try.”

* * *

Touya wasn’t sure how he felt about the trips any more. Viktor was gone for extended periods of time, so there wasn’t much he could do about seeing him save for selfies and texts while he was abroad, and he couldn’t ever go with him until later in life… if he even let him. However, they also meant that he would be searching for something for Touya, sending him the pictures of castles and of statues. That for all the time he was away, he would still be thinking about him; that he never forgot him despite being away from school. And Touya wouldn’t stop thinking about him either. The doodles in the corners of his notebooks were of castles or statues, of a man with a flowing cloak or a loose tie and suit jacket.

But the end of the year was too close. And soon, that would mean he wouldn’t need to sketch the person to see them every day. He could just be with them if he wanted…

And if he worked up the courage to ask him.

Touya never felt closure from their one conversation about potentially keeping contact after high school. He knew it was improper to pursue any sort of relations like that while still attending the academy, but didn’t want to miss his chance with Viktor.

In an attempt to distract himself, Touya had thrown himself into the art and competition life. He was working on his painting daily, then stalked the results after submission. He kept himself preoccupied with friends and art alongside his finals, still talking to Viktor and finding out more about him each afternoon, but never going any further with his own feelings as graduation rolled ever closer.

Touya ended up becoming a finalist in the national competition, and invited his friends and family to the gallery where they were hosting the event and announcing the winner. His painting, tilted _Man Of The Castle_ , was up against two artists of other schools – one of them hailing from Ikemen’s rival institution.

The gallery on the day of the showcase was completely full. Touya stopped counting the number of people who had come up to congratulate him after thirty-two. They all came with a huge smile and shaking hands, which he could only return with false enthusiasm.

Nobody in the crowd had a familiar flash of red hair, or a wide, welcoming grin.

 _He promised to attend the showcase when I told him about all those months ago. But he talked about a trip, and… calm down, Touya._ Despite trying to relax, he glanced around again, checking his watch.

_I just wanted him here for the awards ceremony._

“Touya!”

At the sound of his name, the painter spun around, but came face-to-face with Soujiro and Souma, who were giving him reassuring smiles.

“You came!”

“Of course,” Soujiro said, his voice smooth. “I wouldn’t miss my fellow artist’s showcase for anything. You have come to so many of mine, after all.”

“And I don’t want to lose the opportunity of seeing you kick that kid’s butt with your art!”

“It’s in the judges’ hands now. I haven’t got a say anymore.”

“Still. I’ve never been able to enter these competitions. You have a lot of confidence, Touya… but I don’t see it now. You seem nervous.”

“Makes sense, doesn’t it, Soujiro?” Souma frowned. “He’s worried about losing!”

“Yes, that’s it…” Touya shuffled slightly, shrinking from Soujiro’s questioning gaze. “And have either of you seen anybody else yet? Shun… or Viktor-sensei…”

Soujiro’s lips curled into a small smirk, holding up the pamphlet in his hands. “Are you asking because of your painting?”

“I… I mean, I was just wondering. I told him about it—the competition, I mean, but I don’t know if he’ll come…”

“There’s a chance he might.” Soujiro looked beyond Touya, who was confused for a moment, until an arm swung about his shoulders, causing him to cry out in surprise.

“Viktor-sensei!”

“Hello there, Touya!” His teacher flashed a grin, before waving to Soujiro and Souma. “And hello to you both, as well.”

“Viktor-sensei,” Soujiro said with a slight bow. “Souma, do you want to look at the other two paintings?”

“Yeah! I want to see how this other kid’s painting looks. It can’t be anywhere near as good!”

As they departed, Touya let out a sigh, glancing aside at Viktor with a relieved smile.

“I’m sorry I was late,” Viktor said hurriedly, pulling away. “My car decided to not start for a minute, and I was already running a little late, and traffic on the way here was _something else_ , let me tell you… and parking’s apparently a mess when you arrive somewhere late, who would have guessed—“

Touya let out a chuckle, interrupting Viktor briefly. He smiles at the sight, asking, “Now what’s so funny, Touya?”

“Nothing, Viktor. I was just so worried… I didn’t know if you had left on your trip yet, and if you even wanted to come in the first place… if you were ever mad at me for the painting despite what you said. I didn’t want that to be true, but I’m just so nervous and—“

Viktor’s arms wrapped around Touya, pulling him close. Touya let out a startled sound, hands rising with a mind to escape the grip, until he realized how tight Viktor had him in his arms. With a sigh, he did the same, holding him just as close, which caused the other man to tense for just a moment. They stayed there for a few moments, trying to hold the other and make the hug last for a little bit longer until Viktor pulled away. 

 “I’m glad you’re here,” Touya murmured, barely audible over the din of the room.

“I’m glad I could make it.” Viktor moved a hand to cup Touya’s cheek, running his thumb across. “I’m so proud of you.”

Touya’s smile grew, and he pulled away from Viktor, his touch lingering just a moment more. “Thank you for being there for me all this time. I am glad that I could get this far and make you proud! I… You, Viktor, are the best muse for my art. I am eternally grateful.”

Viktor’s eyes widened at the compliment, finding himself speechless. Words bubbled up but died as soon as they touched his tongue, only able to grip Touya’s hand tighter.

“I really do owe you a trip to Europe. Where you do want to go?”

Touya bent his head back and laughed. “I want to go see Paris. For myself.”

“Done. After graduation, of course.”

“I’ll wait.” Touya gazed at his teacher, wishing time would stop for just a moment and let them have this— but Viktor’s eyes were trained behind him, and Touya turned to see what was the matter.

A group of photographers stood behind them, and one of them was nodding to Touya, approaching them both. Viktor laughed at the sight, spinning Touya around to face them.

“Go get your picture taken, Touya. You’ll want to commemorate this moment. And be nice to the other competitors before you beat them.” He nudged his back, encouraging him to go. Touya nodded in agreement and waved.

“I’ll be right back!”

“I know you will!” Viktor smiled, watching him go. When Touya was out of sight, he sighed, relaxing his shoulders and slipping his hands into his pockets.

_I’ll always come back for you, too. For now and forever._


End file.
